Rivalries
by RoseMuse
Summary: Just a quick one-shot about Avatar Yangchen's earlier years.


The maple leaves above the canyon began bleeding crimson against the pale white autumn skies, and yellow-tailed river-hawks floated along windy drafts, chasing the rock sparrows that nested in the cliff sides.

Yangchen woke to the usual early morning drumming, echoing out across the expanse of the Western Air Temple - great tiled buildings, and bridges, and gardens, hanging out over the deep, misty canyon like icicles. Small, hidden stairways, and narrow paths, known only to the Air Nomads, wound down into the green valley below, where the herds of sky bison and their newly-born calves would be sleepily grazing.

Early morning was always a thrill to her - the twilight outside just seemed to be holding back the excitement of whatever adventures were waiting during the day.

Yangchen breathed in the cool air wafting in from her open window, slipping from her pallet, her bare, tattooed feet slapping against the cold stone floor.

Well… today certainly would be an adventure of sorts. She was supposed to be helping train the younger girls in gliding - a task usually handled by the initiates the year below her. Well, two years, now that she was turning sixteen. She yawned, stifling a groan - her excitement for the day quickly fading.

Staff in hand, she shuffled across the bridge from her dormitories, casting a glance across the canyon - several gliders were already up and about - bright red wings catching the first rays of the sun.

Several of her friends were gathered near a fountain up ahead, and she ran to catch up to them. They usually met there in the mornings to talk after breakfast. Zopa, plump face always smiling, short Diki, and giggly Pema, and Je-Tsun with her ever-wry sense of humor.

Zopa turned to face her when she joined the group, whispering a hasty apology, "I'm sorry you're stuck with the trainees, today. I would've volunteered to help, but I have kitchen duties. At least Je-Tsun will be there, too. I'll be sure to bring you both some pie, later." she added.

"Thanks.", Yangchen laughed. Diki looked over at her, "Well, it took you long enough to get here, Yangchen. We were waiting for you for about half an hour!"

"What did you do, sleep in and miss breakfast again?", Je-Tsun asked, rolling her eyes, "Come on, lets get going already."

The two girls bid their farewells to their friends and headed down to the practice yards - flat, stone-tiled surfaces spanning some of the lower cliffs. They didn't talk much - Je-Tsun had never really had much to say to Yangchen, other than thinly-veiled comments that did little to mask her dislike of her. Their whole group of friends had been at the top of their classes together, but Yangchen and Je-Tsun had always competed against each other the most.

The former Avatar, Zhu, had died almost two decades ago, and was to be reincarnated among the Air Nomads. It wasn't a normal practice, but many of their younger generation had been pushed, trained, and taught to be the best, each master hoping that their own charges would someday be chosen. Brought forth as the new Avatar. The new hope and spirit of balance in the world.

Only the councils of five knew the true identity of the Avatar.

As they headed down towards the narrow, rail-less steps, carved into the side of the rock, an older nun came hurrying up, face red from running.

They stopped, eyeing her with curious gazes.

"Children!", she gasped, "Did you hear? They have canceled the classes today - the council, that is. They are going to be announcing the identitiy of the Avatar!"

Yangchen blinked, a bit taken aback by the sudden announcement - it wasn't anything they hadn't expected. This was just a little sooner than they had thought. "Then we had better go tell the students, now. Thank you, Sister." Yangchen bowed respectfully, practically feeling the excitement slowly growing in the air.

They turned to run down the stairs, but the older nun caught Yangchen's sleeve, "Wait, Yangchen. I was just handed this message for you, as well." She handed Yangchen a tightly-bound roll of paper.

Breaking open the seals, Yangchen scanned the message, feeling confused as she read, and re-read over each character.

"The council wishes to meet with me?", Yangchen asked.

Je-Tsun shot her a sharp look of surprise, and the older nun's eyes lit up with shock.

"Excuse me." Yangchen mumbled, hurrying past them to go back up to the upper halls, walking quickly, then breaking into a run - trying fervently to dispel the strange, sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

An hour later she wandered away from the council meeting. She wasn't sure of what to think anymore at this point. All she knew was that her life had changed - the very world had changed - in the simple span of an hour.

Everyone would know, by now, as well. The word had probably spread as soon as she'd been seen heading towards the meeting.

As predicted, a large crowd waited outside, yammering, and talking loudly - so many words and jumbled conversations - simply sailing past her as she tried to make her way through.

Her friends, Diki, Zopa, and Pema stood outside the throng near the same fountain that they had met beside, earlier. She wanted to just join them, pretend like nothing had happened, but the looks they gave her stopped her in her tracks.

It was as if they didn't even recognize her. They turned away, expressions cold, and faces set like frozen masks.

After a short while, the elder sisters cleared away the crowds, leaving Yangchen on her own with her thoughts, sitting on the damp edge of the fountain.

When she looked at her reflection in the water, all she saw was a short, plain teenage girl with muddy gray-brown eyes, and straight brown hair pulled back into a simple plait.

No brave, all-powerful, beautiful, wise being - and this scared her, somewhat.

In less than a month, she'd be sent off to train - feeling like a lone bison that had been separated from the herd.

She tried to bite back the tears that left tiny, dark splotches on her orange robes, barely noticing that Je-Tsun had walked up and sat beside her.

"Those girls-" Je-Tsun said, "They would probably give anything to be you, you know. Without a thought of what it truly means to be the Avatar."

Yangchen wiped the tears from her eyes with a sleeve, "What do you mean by that? Aren't you upset, too? Angry because you didn't get all the 'glory'?"

"Well, firstly, I don't believe it's the right mindset to have - it's just plain greedy, and it's certainly not what the elders teach." Je-Tsun stated, "I'm just happy being myself."

Yangchen frowned, trying to figure out what she meant, but refrained from interrupting.

"What I mean is that I'm content with aiming to better myself, rather than trying to gain the fame." Je-Tsun explained.

"But… Why tell me this now? I thought you disliked me." Yangchen asked.

"I was always a little… jealous, I suppose." Je-Tsun said, staring down at her toes, "Because you see things the same way - you're content with being yourself. And you were always better than I was while training. I wanted to be as good."

Yangchen allowed herself a small smile, "Really? You think that's who I am?"

Je-Tsun shrugged, "You're a master bender, you're very good at what you do. But you also cared about your friends, and even me - although I can be kind of annoying at times, I'll admit. You're a good person, Yangchen."

The two girls smiled.

"Besides," Je-Tsun laughed, "Even if you are the Avatar, I suppose I'll still always be here for some good competition - for old-time's sake."


End file.
